Ed’s note: The following post was written by Ian Gilfillan, the original post appears on his blog Neverness. I think it is one of the most objective and rational posts written on the topic of SA Rocking or not that I have read in a long time. Thanks go out to Ian for allowing me to repost this piece.
In my ideal world, Red Star Coven would be dominating the Amatomu charts, not David whatsisname.
Walton has written a post that deals with a topic I often think about, subtitled South Africa does not rock, it’s a disaster.
Before you react emotionally, go read it. He’s not an afro-pessimist, he attacks that (almost) as equally.
The world is not binary. It’s not made up of socialism vs capitalism, terrorism vs innocence, good vs bad, or any of those false dichotomies that dumb down our brains. The Zen koan I keep quoting (hauling out one limited mini-realisation over and over 
, asks whether, for example, a white chess pawn in the left hand is the same as a white chess pawn in the right hand. It is difficult to grasp.
In this context, the question would go Are you an Afro-pessimist or an Afro-optimist? Answer it now.
Did you answer Afro-pessimist? Wrong! Wake up! Afro-optimist then? Wrong! Wake up!
I’m tempted to leave it there, but lets play with some of the ideas. And by writing more I’ll fall into the good/bad trap, but it’s hard not to do so and still be coherent Giving it the slightest thought, it’s obvious that things aren’t all terrible, or all fantastic. Ecstasy and agony are both part of the human experience. So neither states are objective, unchanging, realities. What matters is our perspective. For most people, ecstasy is preferable to agony. But how we expect and describe things is another matter altogether. Focusing on the worst is partly a protection mechanism, learned from past experience. Focusing on the best is a healthier human condition. By focusing on the best, we work towards creating that same situation in reality, and have more energy to do so.
So, if optimism is a healthier human condition, is that the same as ignoring harsh realities? No.
The press is almost overwhemingly negative. Perhaps not always in perspective, but in reporting and highlighting bad news over good. Negative news, for me, is demoralising. I have less energy to do things if I am demoralised. Depression and lethargy go together. Being negative is draining. Positive news, on the other hand, energises me, and makes me more likely to contribute in other ways.
That matches with research about the human happiness, which seems to indicate that if things are getting better, in a person’s perspective, they are happy, and things are getting worse, from their perspective, they are unhappy. So happiness is about movement, life itself, not a static state achieved after certain material objectives have been met.
So, onto SA Rocks. As they state, SA Rocks is not a website dedicated to blindly praising South Africa. We here at sarocks.co.za understand that every country has flaws and we do not deny the flaws of South Africa. We do feel that there are enough people who berate our country and it’s time for people to start acting and thinking positively about South Africa.
That’s certainly not bullshit. It’s a healthy reaction to the almost overwhelmingly negative news surrounding us. It’s about achieving balance, seeing the positive and negative, getting a fuller picture. Of course, some may use it to rose-tint their glasses, but that doesn’t seem to be the intention of most people involved.
Quoting from Walton, SA does not ‘rock’. South Africa has 41% unemployment. It has rates of violent crime you’d expect from a war zone like Iraq. It is still a deeply racist society, and the division between rich and poor is growing. People are dropping dead from Aids because the government doesn’t care about them. Cops still shoot protestors. We have an incompetent, kleptocratic government. Infrastructure has broken down. You can’t trust the postal service, public transport, department of home affairs, or communications network. This is not ‘rocking’. This is pretty fucking dire, and we need to do something about it.
I can no more accurately say something like SA ‘rocks’. It has a 75% employment rate [selectively choosing the statistic to put the best spin on things], plummeting rates of violent crime, a society where racial divisions are disappearing fast, with growing economic integration and reduction in the poverty rate. AIDS is starting to come under control thanks to massive government intervention, albeit belated. and so on.
Of course, making the latter claims are nonsense as an accurate picture, but the point is it’s as accurate a synopsis as the former, merely reflecting a different perspective, and an equally dubious statistic.
Back to Walton: Hear no evil, see no evil.. True, but that’s certainly not the case for most of us living here (and I’m sure anywhere SA expats hang out), or what SA Rocks are trying to achieve.
And here’s the other problem with it: it’s so middle class. Yes, South Africa does rock if you’ve got money. You can afford armed response and security, and privatised solutions to all the infrastructure problems. Growth rates are phenomenal, and if you’re in the tiny percentile that’s raking in the cash, I’m sure things look pretty good.
I think this is getting closer to the real reason for his post. Someone with a byline of Each heart is a revolutionary cell, and a blog title of Red Star Coven has a certain delicious perspective, that may not fit easily with the hated middle-class label.
But the sentiments are untrue. SA ‘rocks’ (and I’m assuming SA rocks means happy with matters in this context) for many people. What’s important is perspective. A poverty-stricken monk is generally happier than an overstressed lawyer. It’s got very little to do with the material. It’ one of the fundemental flaws of our time, claiming that material possessions such as cash, car, all that bullshit will make us happy. It has nothing to do with it. Material safety is another matter. Happiness measurement is always controversial, but a number of studies indicate that it’s not the middle class who’re happiest. Are people seeing things getting better or worse? The rural poor seem to be surprisngly happy – perhaps because it’s there that small things are having a large impact on low-level needs – villages getting access to water, for example, as well as being less-impacted by urban crime.
So, does SA Rock? It does much more. It dances to tango, eurythmy, skank, bharatanatyam, kwaito, sokkie-sokkie and mbaqanga. It toi-tois, krumps and raves. Perhaps it even dances to the St Louis shag.
It also murders, wins rugby games, rapes, fucks, cheats, makes sweet patootie, smokes dope, gives sweet kisses under the moonlight, stabs in the back, and everything else that makes it what it is.
Are you sure it’s just a disaster?
This post is published under a Creative Commons License.
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Popularity: 3% [?]
May 21st, 2007 at 11:57 am
At the risk of sounding redundant ….
SPOT ON !
ROCK ON …
May 21st, 2007 at 1:20 pm
Balance is important. Sure we have problems [who hasn't]. Acknowledging the problems, is of course important and I agree negativity exists and sells newspapers…which tend to be emotionally draining at times. I am happy to be a positive voice trying to make a small positive difference. I think SA Rocks, we just all have to work harder to get it right!
May 21st, 2007 at 2:38 pm
Nic
You left a comment on Ian’s blog that said:
“I also find it interesting to read Walton talk of the middle class and SA is great for the rich when he was wealthy enough to flea SA when things got too troubled for him. ”
Why do you make the assumption that I ‘flea’ South Africa because things got too much for me?
I did nothing of the sort. I was very happy living in SA, happier than I am now. I will live there again. Despite my happiness, I was very critical of the wrong directions I saw us going is as a country.
I didn’t ‘flea’ – I came overseas because my girlfriend was here. I’m not wealthy either – like most South Africans, I came over on a Working Holiday Visa and got a job in a pub.
Travelling is not ‘flea’ing. And it doesn’t negate my right to express my opinion.
May 21st, 2007 at 3:09 pm
Walton: Fair enough, my apologies, bad choice of words. I have done the working thing too. Didn’t mean to offend!!
I am glad that you posted your post and think, as Ian mentioned, that you raise interesting and pertinent issues that should be discussed. I do hope that you aren’t growing to hate SA and do intend on returning.
I understand 100% about travelling abroad and gaining worldly experience, I have done it, but I did not blog about how rubbish the country has become with stats, facts and experience that I had from being overseas for a year and a half.
Again, I didn’t intend to offend you and hope that you will come back to SA Rocks and play devils advocate rationally and with an open-minded approach. I am not ignorant and do not claim that SA is 100% safe and perfect. That is ridiculous!!
Thanks!
May 22nd, 2007 at 12:02 am
Cool. I don’t know what your traffic’s been like, but mine has been quite good.
May 22nd, 2007 at 7:12 am
Ian wrote a very interesting and well written post! Reposting it here was a great idea.
May 22nd, 2007 at 8:10 am
Walton: Ye, it’s been OK, glad I could send traffic your direction!! Lets hope it carries over on both sides to today.
Leon: Ians post is awesome and he was great about allowing me to repost it!
September 5th, 2007 at 5:55 pm
I continue to grow incredibly frustrated with fellow South Africans who seem to share this mentality where a poor attitude is one of the biggest challenges facing the average disgruntled South African. Being positive about the situation in South Africa is one thing, being absolutely blind to the reality of the situation is another thing altogether. Every time you raise the issue of crime, poor service delivery or rising living costs, you get the same response. “Get off your behind and do something about it!” What most people fail to realize is that by paying your taxes and being a good citizen, you are doing something about the situation. You are making a positive contribution.
I am a white male aged 28. Being the indirect benefactor of Apartheid has automatically made me the villain, nothing more then another pale face who has to pay for the sins of his forefathers. Enough about my past though. I wanted to get that out of the way so that you could automatically put me into whatever box you put people like to put me into. Im sure you have a label for it. We South Africans love nothing more then to label and classify people.
Lets, however, rather look at my present situation and possible future. One that is shared by quite a few South Africans of which a fair percentage are beginning to feel the way I do. Perhaps the positive South Africans would be able to elaborate exactly where I am wrong in my cynicism and highlight exactly why I should change my attitude to that of a positive South African. I need examples here. After all, it seems that negativity is almost as big an issue as crime, HIV and unemployment. It has to be. I mean, every time you dare complain about the state of the nation you are called a negative whining spoilt brat. Perhaps once I have been enlightened my perception of the current challenges we face will be accepted with glee instead of the growing frustration I face daily. Im not quite sure. Making an informed decision alone just does not seem to cut it.
Being a white male graduate, I have to contend with Affirmative Action. Sins of the past may be political justification for the policy but the government has gone to great lengths to make me difficult to employ, regardless of my skills and career record. I would love the opportunity to start my own business, but BEE has made opportunities to do business, particularly for white male graduates with an Afrikaans surname, very difficult indeed. Unless I am prepared to gift someone 26% of my business I will have to face the reality of not being able to do business with a large portion of listed companies, larger private companies and government itself. Not only has the government made me difficult to employ, they have made it difficult for me to employ myself. I have been marginalized from participating in the economy as a result. My contributions are not limited through lack of intent or desire. They are limited by legislation. My attitude and outlook cant change the law.
Fortunately though, I do have work at the moment. Unfortunately, I have to pay almost 40% of my salary in tax. So I donate a fair whack of change every month to the Government. I call this a donation for good reason. These taxes offer very little in the way of the basic services one would expect from a Government that takes 40% of your salary in the first place. It’s a tough pill to swallow, but being from a privileged background, I do understand that my contribution has to be a little greater then the majority. However, the lack of basic services means that there are the indirect taxes that we all have to pay over and above income tax. The fact that the government cant provide me with decent health care, a capable police force and schooling for my children one day, means that I incur the expense of a medical aid plan, investment funds to cover tuition when they my kids need to go to school, security companies that I pay to protect my house and tracker systems for my car. Before I have even paid VAT, I am taxed almost 60% of my basic salary.
The remaining 40% or so of my salary has to cover the major expenses of a house, car, food and my “excellent” South African lifestyle. I lived overseas for a while, so I missed the property bandwagon. To buy a decent house now is going to cost me almost 1 million Rand. At the current interest rate, I am looking at repayments of almost R12 000 a month. All of a sudden, as a percentage of my income, housing in Australia and Canada does not seem so pricey. With their interest rates, its not only affordable, but an actual possibility.
Am I being negative when I complain about car prices? The simple fact that we don’t have a public transport system means I have no choice but to buy a car. Obligated to buy a car in a country where government levies and manufacturer margins are so high we are probably one of the most expensive countries in the world when it comes to buying a new car. Perhaps there is a positive spin we can put on this complaint? Perhaps the cost of insurance is a positive? I consider this being held to ransom more then anything else, but a positive spin on this would be appreciated to.
As for safety? We live in a country where I look over my shoulder constantly. I have come to accept the fact that my children wont be able to ride their bikes to school.My future wife is going to have to deal with constant calls from me to make sure she has reached her destination safely. The police cant protect me and seem incapable of doing so when you look at our soaring crime statistics. I did join the local neighborhood watch, but when government passed legislation that makes gun ownership difficult, I had to throw in the towel.
Lets look at the rest of the situation as it stands at the moment. The ones that don’t affect us directly, but will have an impact on all of us in the long term. We are losing the battle with HIV, deciding to fight the pandemic with garlic and an exercise program rather than education and anti retrovirals. We have illegal immigrants pouring into South Africa, which is only going to further drain social services and lead to more crime. The majority from a country that continue to inflict human rights abuses on its own people daily, with the complete support of our current Government when you consider their silence.
We hear stories of corruption in government and municipalities almost daily. The standard of education has been dropped to accommodate poor standards of schooling and a Government that is more worried about the number of matrics its churns out instead of producing matrics with a solid education. The skills shortage has been amplified by the droves of people leaving. We have different university entry requirements for people of different races. Infrastructure is struggling to cope because of poor management.
I am being called a pessimist because I complain about discrimination that limits my involvement in the economy, an economy that taxes 40% of my salary, an economy driven by me purchasing services that my taxes should cover. For that luxury, I have to deal with soaring living costs where property, transport and daily living expenses are starting to rival first world countries. (I should know, I was abroad for two years. The “South Africa is CHEAP” argument is flawed). To complement the soaring living expenses, I also have to deal with the constant fear of violent crime that I may have to experience.
What exactly is keeping me here? What is keeping you here? Other then family and friends, South Africa has absolutely nothing left to offer me. It may be my home, but its no longer a country I feel welcome in. If I am not being made to feel like a second rate citizen through legislation, I am being made to ask forgiveness constantly for a system my grandfather voted in.
Before you suggest it, I have already made my decision to emigrate. I have heard it all before. Pessimists like me are not needed in South Africa. You don’t need cynics in South Africa, you need people of action. So Ill take my skills, my tax money, my education and my savings I have accrued elsewhere.
There are four types of “positive” South Africans. The trapped, the blind, the very brave and the insane. To those that are forced to stick it out, I wish you all the best. To the very brave ones, I commend you. I hope the gamble pays off. To the blind ones, I implore you to become a little more aware of your surroundings and maybe read a newspaper from time to time. To the insane ones, please let the rest of us know what we need to do to get a job in Government. It seems to pay quite well
December 4th, 2007 at 3:26 pm
I was in the Far East for a month in October. Every tourist who I met who had never been to SA asked if it was safe. Every tourist who I met who had been to SA could not stop raving about SA. Said it was one fo their best trips ever. Most could not wait to get back.
And on average most people in the Far East work seven days a week and get seven days leave a year. Rains like crazy, poverty is everywhere and apart from few first world countries, the infrastructure is shocking (way worse than SA) and the quality of life is terrible.
And compared to most of the Far East, JHB traffic is a breeze.
Made me think about SA a lot. Yea it has its challenges, but it feels like paradise compared to there.
December 4th, 2007 at 3:57 pm
Hey Steve, thanks for the comment. It’s great to read comments like yours. Gives an interesting and different perspective on the place that we live. It’s great to know that there aren’t purely negative reactions from foreigners travelling in SA!!
December 7th, 2007 at 2:44 am
Just wanted to say that I am one of the tourists who have been to SA who RAVES about it. Definitely my best trip ever. I will never forget your beautiful country and plan to go back as soon as possible. All countries have their negatives. SA definitely rocks!! I think I might just hit the Springbok Cafe and Grill tonight here in Van Nuys, Southern California…
December 8th, 2007 at 10:06 pm
Preacher – 5 types – also include those with faith. Sure, things never go as planned, but someone has to believe it will get better. I’m in a very [very, very] similar situation to you, but choose to believe it will get better. You don’t. Fine, that’s why its called choice. Good luck to you, and good luck to us. Only time will tell whether its worthwhile or not, but I believe it will be.
Nic – thanks for this site. Its not easy to say at times, but in spite of everything we must believe it. [if we don't, who else will]. SA Rocks!
December 9th, 2007 at 11:48 am
Just to add to what Steve said, in Europe everyone also asked me wether SA was safe. The people who I met who actually traveled to SA said it was the best if not one of the best travel experiences they have ever had.
SA Rocks!
December 9th, 2007 at 5:00 pm
Hasn’t the preacher been cutting and pasting that story all over the web for like the last 3 months…. go already dude, you’re boring the crap outta me…
December 9th, 2007 at 5:24 pm
Ammm some Glaswegian is ripping off your good work here Nic, that pisses me off, Glasgow, Glasgow good God the home of the tenant house and the Glasgow Kiss, Glasgow good god and he has a ponytail, best to ignore him really….he cannot even make it in London, Glasgow not even Scottish people live there, unbelievable…
January 10th, 2011 at 6:54 am
Very effectively written information. Will probably be helpful to anyone who usess it, together with myself. Keep up the good work – for certain i’ll try more posts.
January 10th, 2011 at 8:59 pm
Surprise! You actually covered this subject well. Are there other choices that i am going to need to check out?
June 1st, 2011 at 2:57 am
I love tea. The way it tastes and smells. I prefer it way more then I do soda. its also better for you too.